New Polish ski resorts planned

Polish and foreign investors are behind projects to create new ski resorts in southern Poland.

Photo: wikipedia

Tycoon Slawomir Rusinek aims to create a resort near the town of Wadowice (birthplace of Pope John Paul II), in the Little Beskid Mountains (Beskid Maly).

Meanwhile, Slovakian company Tatry Mountain Resorts is planning a resort at Zawoja, near the Babia Gora National Park.

“It's plain to see that there has been a significant increase in companies investing in infrastructure for winter sports in our country,” commented Piotr Burda, founder of skiing site narty.pl, as quoted by the Metro daily.

“Until now, investments were mainly aimed at modernising existing resorts, but today more and more businessmen want to build new centres.”

Rusinek's plans for a resort near Wadowice include several slopes as well as a vast all-season hall, modelled on the renowned indoor Snow Arena in Druskininkai, Lithuania.

Meanwhile, Tatry Mountain Resorts envisage a resort with a string of hotels and restaurants in Zawoja. The company is also considering a resort at Szczyrk in Silesian Beskid Mountains, with at least 20 km of slopes. The cost of the latter investment has been estimated at 30 million euros.

Currently, Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains remains Poland's winter capital, but skiing aficionados fans note that there are long waits for ski-lifts in season.

Krakow is leading a joint bid with Jasna in Slovakia to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Several of the events would be staged in Zakopane, if the bid is successful (the winner will be announced in July 2015). (nh)